Device for removing snow from railway-tracks.



N. J. PURDIN.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SNOW FROM RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLIVCATION FILED FEB. I. l9l6.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

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mej ardzlv N. J. PURDlN.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING snow mom RAILWAY TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I. 19l6. 1,200,234. Patented 0m. 3,1916.

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Um TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NETTIE l-PURDIN, OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO WILLIAM W. STARK, OF TECUMSEH, OKLAHOMA.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING SNOW FROM RAILWAY-TRACKS.

Application filed February 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Nn'rrrn J. PURDIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Corpus Christi, in the county of Nueces and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Removing Snow from Railway-Tracks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a device for removing snow from railway tracks, and more particularly a device for removing snow from street railways, or railway tracks wherein electrical power is used for propelling the snow removing medium, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature,'which includes a rotary brush for loosening the snow upon the track, a suction tube, and a snow hopper which receives the snow, after passage through the suction means, and further to provide means for heating the hopper for melting the snow therein.

Another object of this invention is to mount a snow retaining hopper as specified about a steam boiler, of ordinary construction, so that the steam of the boiler will melt the snow within the hopper, and also to provide drains, which lead outwardly from the snow hopper for permitting of water formed by the melted snow to run out of the hopper.

With the foregoing and other objects in view this invention consists in such novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like and corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, and in which Figure 1 is a central section through the improved snow removing device, Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of the snow removing structure, and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the means for directly removing the snow from the track.

Referring more particularly to the drawingsl designates a car structure, which has trucks 2. The trucks 2 are provided for Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Serial No. 75,565.

travel over the rails 3 of any suitable or ordinary type of railway, preferably an electric railway, as lndicated in the drawings.

The fire-box 7 of necessary fuel to the fire-box 7 for creating type of valve structure, indicated at 10, may be interposed within the pipes 8, for regulating the flow of the volatile fuel into the fire-box of the boiler.

steam within the boiler 5. Any suitable The boiler 5 has a hopper 11 mounted thereabout, which hopper extends above the uppermost section of the boiler and flares outwardly, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The lower portion 12 of the hopper 11, has its side walls curved, and' spaced a short distance from the exterior of the boiler 5. A pair of drain pipes 14 extend outwardly from the lower end or bottom of the hopper l1, and they extend outwardly through the sides of the car, and downwardly, for providing drains for the hopper.. Valves 15 may be interposed in the drain pipes 14, for regulating the flow of the water therethrough, if it is so desired.

A pipe or conduit 16 communicates with the upper portion of the upper end of the hopper 11, and it extends forwardly through the car 1, communicating with the outlet of a suction fan 17. The suction fan 17 is preferably mounted in the forward end of the car 1 and its inlet communicates with a suction pipe 18. The suctionpipe 18 has a hinged joint 19 formed therein. The pipe 18 extends forwardly in the front end of the car and outwardly therefrom, having a substantially semi-conically shaped mouth 20 formed upon its lower end, which has a flat bottom,as shown at21.

A motor 22 is mounted within the car 1 and isoperatively connected to the suction fan 17, as is shown at 23 for propelling the fan for creating a suction through the pipe 18 and a discharge of air through the pipe 16. The motor 22 may receive its operating current from any suitable source. In the drawings, a trolley wire 23 is shown, with which a trolley pole 24 connects. The current passesdownwardly from the trolley pending bracket 26 secured thereto, to the lower edge of which is attached a platform 27. The platform 27 forms a'support for the suction pipe 18, and it rotatably supports a shaft 28, at its forward edge; The shaft 28 is'operatively connected to the motor or prime mover 22, by any suitable power transmitting mechanism, as indicated at 29. A rotary brush 30 is mounted upon the shaft 28, and it is positioned directly in front of the mouth 20 of the suction pipe 18. The platform 27 is hingedly connected to the brace 26, and a flexible member 31 is connected to the platform a short distance inwardly from its forward edge. The flexible member 31 extends upwardly, and is connected to a boom 32, carried by the forward end of the car. The flexible member 31 passes over a pulley 33, carried by the outer end ofthe boom 32, and extends along the under surface of the boom, through'the forward end of the car, and over a pulley Set, mounted within the car 1. The end of the flexible member depends within the car, as is shown at 35, so as to be convenient for the reach of the operator, so that if he desires, a pull may be administered to the fleX-' :ible member for raising the platform 27, the

rotary brush 30 and the suction pipe 18 out of an operative position.

If it is so desired, a pipe 40 may be con-.

- nected to the hopper 11, and the boiler 5,

r in the pipe 10, for regulating the flow of water from the hopper into the boiler.

WVhen it is desired to fill the boiler, the

valves 15 are operated for cutting off the drain of the water from the hopper through the pipes 14, and the valve 41 is opened, which will permit the water to flow into the boiler, until the desired or necessary amount of water has entered the boiler,

The suction through the pipe 18, will carry the snow upwardly through the pipe, through the fan casing 17, and force it outwardly through the discharge pipe 16, into the hopper 11. The heat generated by the steam within the boiler 5, will melt the snow inthe hopper, and the melted snow will drain from the hopper through the pipes 14, or through the pipes 40 into the boiler, as previously described.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the advantages of construction and of the method of operation of the improved device for removing snow from railway tracks will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains and, while in the foregoing description, the principle of the operation of this invention has been described together with various features of construction, it is to be understood that certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be altered to suit practical con,.. ditions provided such alterations are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed. 7

WVhat is-claimed is:

1. In a device for removing snow from. railway tracks, the combination, of a portable car structure, a steam boiler carried by said car structure, a hopper mounted about said steam boiler, a plurality of drain pipes communicating with the lower portion ofsaid hopper, a drain pipe communicating 100 with said hopper and said boiler for supplying water to said boiler, and means for gathering the snow from the tracks and feeding it to said hopper.

2. In a device for removing snow from 105 railway tracks,-the combination, of a portable car structure, a steam boiler carried by said portable ear structure, a hopper mounted about said boiler, a plurality of for supplying the necessary water to the boiler. A valve 41 may be interposed withdrain pipes communicating with the lower portion of said hopper, a suction fan carried by said portable structure, a suction pipe communicating with the inlet of said suction fan and extending forwardly throughthe forward end of said car structure and having its mouth positioned in close proximity to the rails of a railway track, a discharge pipe communicating with the discharge opening of said suction fan and with said hopper for feeding the snow into said hopper through said suction fan, a rotary brush positioned forwardly of the mouth of said suction pipe for stirring up the snow and feeding it to said pipe for passage through said fan and said discharge pipe into said hopper, and means for rotating said brush.

3. In a device for removing snow from railway tracks, the combination, of a portable car structure, a steam boiler carried by said portable car structure, a hopper mounted about said steam boiler, a plurality of drain pipes communicating with the lower portion of said hopper, a suction fan carried by said portable structure, a suction pipe communicating with the inlet of said suction fan and extending forwardly through the forward end of said car structure and having its mouth positioned in close proximity to the rails of a railway track, a discharge pipe communicating with the discharge opening of said suction fan and with said hopper for feeding the snow into said hopper through said suction fan a rotary brush positioned forwardly of the mouth of said suction pipe for stirring up the snow and feeding it to said pipe for passage through said fan and said discharge pipe into said hopper, means for rotating said brush, said suction pipe having 20 Mrs. NETTIE J. PURDIN.

I 1 Witnesses:

W. T. VVA'rsoN, D. A. GARDEN.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

